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Avengers: The Initiative Annual Vol 1 1
and Congressman Woodman asks if the Gauntlet can be removed. Gyrich recommends against it, reminding him that since the Tactigon was similarly removed from Armory, the Initiative scientists haven't been able to make it work. Woodman ponders the connection between these two weapons. | StoryTitle2 = Reason for Being | Writer2_1 = Dan Slott | Writer2_2 = Christos N. Gage | Penciler2_1 = Clayton Henry | Inker2_1 = Paul Neary | Colourist2_1 = Daniele Rudoni | Letterer2_1 = Joe Caramagna | Synopsis2 = Violet Lightner (Armory) is back in San Francisco - without the Tactigon - getting counseling from her caregiver Dr. Burke. Burke asks if Violet has been cutting on herself again, and Violet says no, the new cuts on her arm were done to her... Flashback: Violet tells a passerby that she can't fix her life just before she jumps from the Golden Gate Bridge. She doesn't feel any regret during the fall; only emptiness. But something in the Bay responds to that emptiness: the Tactigon. It flies up out of the water to her, fastens around her arm, and fashions a grappling hook to save her. The Tactigon immediately gives her that which Violet needed most: a reason for being. In short order, Violet uses her new power to make a difference in people's lives, stopping various super-villains. This culminates in Ultimo's attack on San Francisco, stopped when Armory shoots it down and asks the gathered Avengers where she can sign up for the Initiative. Forward again: Dr. Burke asks Violet what happened after that, and Violet thinks about the Initiative team, the training room accident, and the forced removal of the Tactigon from her arm... then tells Dr. Burke nothing happened. Burke urges her to say something, but she won't, giving Burke no choice but to hold her in Burke's halfway house until she's willing to be more forthright. After Violet leaves, Burke calls Secretary Gyrich and assures him that Violet can definitely keep a secret. | StoryTitle3 = Be All That You Can Be | Writer3_1 = Dan Slott | Writer3_2 = Christos N. Gage | Penciler3_1 = Steve Uy | Inker3_1 = Steve Uy | Colourist3_1 = Steve Uy | Letterer3_1 = Joe Caramagna | Synopsis3 = Congressman Woodman steps into a New-age Healing shop, gives a code word and passes through to a secret Hydra base. He's there to give a briefing on Roger Brokeridge: Hardball. Flashback: Roger Brokeridge's family is dealing with facts. Roger's brother Paul used the services of Power Broker Inc. to gain super-powers for employment in the UCWF, but suffered permanent injuries. Roger pulls a pistol and offers to shoot Paul dead, but can't pull the trigger. Instead, Roger decides to exact vengeance on Power Broker. Visiting Power Broker HQ, Roger tries to shoot their agent, but the agent easily stops him. The agent points out Roger's desperation and offers other powers to him... in exchange for 70% of his income. Roger agrees. Roger's first act as Hardball is to use his powers to knock over an armored payroll truck. As luck would have it, the truck was just about to run over a child who had run into its path -- Hardball is an instant super-hero. Wonder Man flies down, commending Roger for his actions, and immediately signing him into the Initiative. Forward to the briefing: Woodman notes that heroes aren't profitable for Power Broker, so they sold Hardball's contract to Hydra. Woodman is already using him to infiltrate the Initiative, and if his cover is blown... then Hydra will have one more agent. | StoryTitle4 = Born To Serve | Writer4_1 = Dan Slott | Writer4_2 = Christos N. Gage | Penciler4_1 = Tom Feister | Penciler4_2 = Carmine Di Giandomenico | Inker4_1 = Tom Feister | Inker4_2 = Carmine Di Giandomenico | Colourist4_1 = Jose Villarrubia | Letterer4_1 = Joe Caramagna | Synopsis4 = Baron von Blitzschlag is writing a letter to Secretary Henry Gyrich, compiling what he knows about Michael van Patrick (MVP). The Baron had spent many years trying to perfect a super-soldier, with little true success. Michael's accidental death was a tragedy, but gave the Baron the material he needed to start a full cloning program from the deceased original. Flashback: A clone of MVP steps out of the cloning chamber, where the Baron and Yellowjacket greet him and introduce him to his "predecessor". Through a system built by the two scientists with help from Taskmaster, the clone has full knowledge of his past and his physical skills. When asked if it's a bad thing, the scientists respond that it only seems to go awry when trying to clone superhumans... and he is annoyingly - perfectly - human. The Baron and Yellowjacket take the clone back to MVP's home in Kentucky. They tell van Patrick's parents that he was washed out of the Initiative program because he didn't have any super-powers, and ask how he achieved that. Van Patrick's parents explain that Michael's great-grandfather Abraham Erskine had designed a full regimen of diet and exercise. Physical perfection was possible, but only through a lifetime of hard work. The government wasn't interested, and had Dr. Erskine work on the Super-Soldier Serum instead. Forward again: The Baron writes that this clone elected to stay with the van Patrick family, posing as the original and keeping MVP's death a secret. The Baron comments this is good, since children are our greatest treasure, and - as he is assisted by the Scarlet Spiders - our greatest resource. | StoryTitle5 = State of Readiness | Writer5_1 = Dan Slott | Writer5_2 = Christos N. Gage | Penciler5_1 = Patrick Scherberger | Inker5_1 = Dave Meikis | Colourist5_1 = Wil Quintana | Letterer5_1 = Joe Caramagna | Synopsis5 = A new Flag-Smasher shows up in Philadelphia with his mercenary group U.L.T.I.M.A.T.U.M., intent on destroying the Liberty Bell. However, the timely arrival of the Liberteens brings the plan to a halt. 2-D springs Flag-Smasher away from the bell while the rest of the team cleans up the U.L.T.I.M.A.T.U.M. troops. Seeing a chance to escape, Flag-Smasher flees, but runs into Ms. America, who makes short work of him. The Liberteens bask in the glory of a favorable news media. Back at their base, Liberteen leader Revolutionary is giving a report of the event to someone at Initiative HQ. He says that the day was a resounding success. As long as the home office can produce enough teams for full nationwide coverage, they can look forward to a 50-state infiltration. While he's stating this, Revolutionary and the recipient in the home office change back to their normal form: Skrulls. | Appearing1 = Featured Characters: * Supporting Characters: * * * Villains: * Other Characters: * Alien wearing the Tactigon * Alien wearing the Gauntlet Armor * * * Locations: * * ** *** **** * Items: * ** Sword ** Right Arm * | Appearing2 = Featured Characters: * Supporting Characters: * * ** *** *** *** ** Trainees *** *** *** *** *** ** Villains: * * * * Locations: * ** ** Items: * * * | Appearing3 = Featured Characters: * Supporting Characters: * * * * ** Villains: * ** * Other Characters: * Susie * Locations: * ** *** Hydra base * suburb * Items: * Vehicles: * | Appearing4 = Featured Characters: * Supporting Characters: * * ** ** *** *** *** ** ** * Villains: * ** ** ** ** Other Characters: * * * * * Locations: * ** ** * ** *** Items: * Vehicles: * | Appearing5 = Featured Characters: * ** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** Supporting Characters: * ** ** Villains: * ** * Other Characters: * Philadelphia cops * Locations: * * ** Items: * Vehicles: * U.L.T.I.M.A.T.U.M.'s tanks * U.L.T.I.M.A.T.U.M.'s flying cycles Events: * | Notes = * "Second Best" takes place prior to (for Gauntlet's origin scenes) and (as Gyrich explains events). * 's meeting with the Mighty Avengers, her inclusion in the Initiative, and her being drummed out all take place in . * The final story is a prelude to Secret Invasion. * This issue is reprinted in comics and books, see references for more info.This issue is reprinted in the following comics/TPB's: * * | Trivia = | Recommended = | Links = }}